Reminiscent of a Familiar Face

The foundation of the n-word is popularly accredited to the sixteenth

century Portuguese word niger, which means black—slave traders captured

slaves and called them nigers, and later niggers. Others suggest it came from

Niger or Nigeria—whatever its derivative source—the lasting effects of the

word today is not absolute as you could ask ten different people their views

and receive ten different answers.

Would we be a better nation without the word? No doubt about it,

it has lasted for centuries and it remains the poisonous nucleus of racial

hostilities. However, my generation and those past have not validated it as

a serious enough offense to stop its usage or reprogram ourselves to hate

the word. I’ve heard the notion that black people took the word, modified it,

and now use it at leisure with a specified definition. As idealistic as this

may sound, the n-word signifies a time when blacks were considered three-fifths

of a person and education was forbidden—which was sometimes

punishable by death. It is not as simple to write it off as “making it our

own” when we were the only ones hurt by its derogatory usage. The same

argument is made for “soul” or comfort food, that African-Americans

took the scraps and made them a delicious and major part of our diet. This

may have passed in the days of old, but with medical research and visible

consequences of eating too much unhealthy foods—how exactly is this

contributing to our well-being now?

Thanks to the diligence and sacrifices our ancestors of all colors made,

we presently have the same equal opportunities and benefits as anyone

else. While I remain respectful of slavery, the civil rights movement and

racial injustices throughout time—the significance of the n-word today

has an entirely different meaning and societal weight now than it did back

then. It is hopelessly optimistic to believe that this word will somehow

magically disappear when so much of our nations past and present has

been influenced by its meaning and consequential actions.

Now with the emergence of anonymous internet blogs, entertainment,

and crazy radio personalities—less emphasis is put on the word and its

historical and lingering effect. Time can only tell if we deem the word

damaging enough to eradicate it from our speech, but if we are to look at

history as an indication for the future—the n-word will be around for a

long time to come.